Pickleball Injuries · Buford · Gwinnett County
Pickleball is currently sending more new patients into the practice than running. Tennis elbow, rotator cuff, plantar fasciitis, lower back, and calf strains are the regulars. Most cases respond well to 4 to 8 visits if you start before things get chronic.
Pickleball involves repeat lateral steps, abrupt starts and stops, and rotational shoulder loading on harder court surfaces than most players are used to. The sport is often picked up by adults who haven't played competitive sport in years, then ramped from one weekly session to four. The combination of unfamiliar movement patterns and rapid volume increase is the typical injury setup.
The top six
/01 Most common
Lateral epicondylitis from repeat backhand strokes. Tendons that attach the forearm extensors to the outside elbow get overloaded. Soft-tissue work, ART, and a graded loading program.
/02 Shoulder
Overhead serves and slams stress the rotator cuff. We assess for true tears versus impingement, treat the soft tissue, and rebuild the cuff with sport-specific loading.
/03 Foot
Court surfaces and rapid volume increases overload the plantar fascia. Full plantar fasciitis page →
/04 Back
Sudden lateral lunges and twisting reaches. Most cases are muscular and respond fast. Low back detail →
/05 Calf
Acute medial gastrocnemius (calf) strain, often felt as a sudden pop in the back of the calf during a lateral step. Common enough to have its own nickname. ART plus a graded calf-loading program.
/06 Tendon
Slow-onset Achilles pain after volume increases. Calf and Achilles work plus eccentric loading.
How we work with players
/01 Diagnose
A 60-minute evaluation. We figure out which tissue is the actual problem and whether your case needs imaging or a referral.
/02 Treat & modify
Hands-on soft-tissue work, manipulation if indicated, plus laser or ARP Wave for stubborn cases. We tell you what to modify in your play during recovery.
/03 Rebuild & return
A program that targets the specific demands of pickleball: lateral cutting, rotational shoulder loading, calf and Achilles eccentrics. We don't discharge you until you can play your normal volume without flaring it back up.
FAQ
What are the most common pickleball injuries?
In our practice, the top six are: lateral epicondylitis (pickleball elbow), rotator cuff strain and impingement, plantar fasciitis, lower back strain, calf strain (sometimes called pickleball leg), and Achilles tendinopathy. Most patients ramped up volume from 1 to 2 sessions per week to 4 or more without progressive conditioning.
Why is pickleball generating so many injuries?
Pickleball involves repeat lateral steps, abrupt starts and stops, and rotational shoulder loading on harder court surfaces than most players are used to. The sport is often picked up by adults who haven't played competitive sport in years, then ramped quickly.
Can I keep playing while I get treated?
Often yes, with reduced volume and modifications. Sometimes no, depending on severity. We give you a realistic answer at the first visit. If your case needs a temporary break from play, we tell you why and how long.
What's pickleball elbow?
Pickleball elbow is the same condition as tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis). The tendons that attach the forearm extensor muscles to the outside of the elbow get overloaded from repeat backhand strokes. Treatment involves manual therapy on the forearm extensors, often Active Release Technique or Graston, plus a graded loading program.
Do I need imaging?
Most pickleball injuries don't need imaging. Imaging is indicated for suspected rotator cuff tears, suspected fractures, severe persistent pain, or cases that haven't responded to 4 to 6 weeks of conservative care.
Pickleball injuries respond best when caught early. A 60-minute evaluation tells you what's actually going on and how long it takes to fix.